Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute (TTTI) notes with disappointment the selection of Minister of Works Jack Warner to act as Prime Minister, while serious allegations about his behaviour during his tenure as an international football administrator remain unresolved.

In particular TTTI is concerned about the message that this appointment sends to our Nation’s youth about the people that are chosen to lead them. We do not believe that this appointment sends a positive message about the standards of behaviour and integrity that we expect from our leaders. We do not believe that this appointment sends a positive message about the equity with which the Law is supposed to treat all citizens, especially to young men incarcerated in the Remand Prison where they await trial for relatively minor offences.

The public cannot maintain confidence in our institutions if our leaders do not meet high standards of behaviour that are above reproach, and are held accountable when they do not comply. When we lose confidence in our institutions they can collapse, and become unable to meet their responsibilities. In these situations, the victims are the most vulnerable in our society, especially the poor and those who depend on the Government for support.

We call on the Government to demonstrate its commitment to the highest standards of governance by ensuring that the conduct and behaviour of those who are given leadership responsibilities are beyond reproach.